The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-01-27

And the freckles just across the bridge
| OF the small nondescript nose and under
the brown eyes were quite apparent in
this broad light.
What a little goose the girl was to
wear that opaque white starched dress,
the languidly elegant widow mentally
| commented 1t made her look like a
| little brown peasant. Under the cir
| cumstances she could afford safely to
| give the child little harmless gratiti-
! cation.
Mr.. Hallett was most particular 20
mention that he hoped you would not
| forget the invitation. 1t was SO nice OF
| him"
Joyce felt herself reddening furiously,
! but whether at Mr.. HaIlett's particular
mention or at the patronage of the love
! ~ Mrs. Grav's tone, was left TO the lat
ter lady'S optional conjecture.
The only reference to the fete cham
| petre between that date and the Friday
of It's happening occurred in tete-G-tete
betwiXt brother and sister.
You're not?" Rex looked up, frown-
! ing. ''What's the matter with you?
| You act as though you wanted to avoid
! D1r Ha.aett, 1t looks ridiculous. He's
never done anything to set you on your
ear, that | know"
joyce was silent.
ooh, you needn't pretend that he
! has" sneered Rex. you've never seen
| him more than half-a-dozen times all
! told, and he never took any special no.
! tice of you one way or the other, with
| brotheriy outspo6enness.
You're q very close observer" fired
! joyce. But there's one thing you
! haven't observed, which you'd do well
| to-that YOU needn't waste your time in
! falling in love with our charming
cousin, because she pays no more atten-
ton to YOU than to a little boy, and
she's IN love with Mr.. Halett-therer
and as Rex regarded her, paling, steadi-
! ly-"les," she trlumphed vindictively,
land that's Just what she came to US on
visit for, because We live near him
and she wanted to get him. He's rich
and she isn't, and she's going to marry
| him if-if she can"
Joyce's tones had been growing more
Historically shrill with every word, and
now she ran out of the room with
sound in her throat that would have
| struck Rex as mysteriously suspicious
! haa he not been absorbed in the ruins
of his own blighted youthful visions.
joyce indicated that she knew that
women were privileged to change their
minds by appearing at the tete cham
pGtre as serenely as though she had
never announced any intention to the
| contrary.
Indeed, she was far more than serene,
Her spirits seemed to have risen for the
occasion to an extraordinary height
Rex looked at her reprOachtully, be-
ing still very much depressed himself
Mrs Gray regarded her with barely
repressed amusement She (Mrs. Gray
was lovely in the extreme in White
/ gown and hat, respectively fluffy with
lace and feathers,
She smiled imperceptibly when she
noticed the powder on Joyce's nose.
How crudcly that ridiculous chit had
clapped it oni To attempt to make up
when one did not know howl
Mrs. Gray pressed her parfumed triie
| of a handkerchief to her lips.
Mr.. Haliett's tail distinguished figure
was seen approaching their party with
q visible eHpgcSseDleRt as soon as they
| dismounted at the entrance to the
/ grounds. Mrs Gray, with her languor-
Gus grace and her syren-ike smile, gave
him her long-gloyed hand.
How more than beautiful your al
ways beautiful place is today" she
murmured.
You must let me take you all over
It, though" said Mr.. Hallett. land,
Mss Yarian. | believe this is the first
time have had the pleasure of seeing
you under my root-uee?"
He was by Joyce's side and his hand
some dark eyes were peering discreetly
under the snaGowiug brIm of her broad
hat.
Yes; but better late than never"
| laughed that young person, raising and
dropping her shining brown eyes with
killing effect.
Mrs. Gray's pencilled eyebrows con-
tracted with amaze Was that little
gawk of a country girl actually trying
to firt with Mr. Hallett? Absurd! She
had been awkw ard before, but now she
was absolutely grotesque.
But grOtesque or not Miss joyce
Varian was certainly walking away
with Mr.. HalIett by her side. and the
exquisite Mrs. Gray was bringing up the
! rear with her dear Cousin Rex.
Shall find shady place where we
can sit down?" qucried the latter
eagerly.
NO" was the reply. as cutting as
possible. - shall 90 and pay my de-
vOlrs to Mr.. Hailett's aunt. who receives
for him. You don't know her, sup
pose?n and snc left him standing there.
And Mrs. Gray was growing livid
with fury. The excitement goaded
Joyce on.
Suddenly she said plaintively:
Il am so much afraid [ am keeping
you from your other guests. We had
better 90 back"
They had wandered off beyond the
precincts CT the lawn, where most of the
people were assembled.
"Oh. no-don'tr' cried Mr. Hallett.
They're all right You see you came
so late had ample time to attend to all
of them. Then my aunt's there. Tell
me. why did you run away the other
day when | went down to Lisle? |
waited and waited, but IN vain
'Whyn-Joyce opened her eyes very
wide-"you didn't want to see me3
You came for Mrs. Gray"
Mr.. Hallett made an impatient ges-
ture. and muttered something under his
beard.
Did / come for Mrs. GRAY the other
two or three times l drove over-with-
out an invitation-for you never would
invite me-before she ever had seen
Lisle?'
You might have come for Rex" was
the grave suggestion.
Rex
''See; am sure Mrs Hallett is look
ing for you-she is looking for some
body-we really must so back"
And she managed to escape from
him. and to keep him at bay, too. all
the rest of the afternoon.
But what mattered that? Mrs. Gray
was defeated-the peerless, the sorceress
by that little chit of a country girl
with retrouSse nose and pink cheeksi